Another Gaiden chapter for all.

This takes place two hundred and seventy eight chapters before the Prologue. Because it is in the past. Enjoy!

Transcendence: Gaiden

Chapter 07: Aftermath - Chromie

Eastern Plagueland

This was a horrible place, not only to be within but to know what had happened here over the years. Every single inch of ground was tainted, filled with maggots that writhed in the filth and decaying matter of fauna, flora and humans. But it also carried with it a deathly pathogen, one that seeps into every cells of any living being it finds.

These lands were no longer called the Lordaeron or the Eastweald, the name associated with the many farms and villages that once dotted this land. Instead it has become a bloated and diseased region filled with death, all that live her are under constant threat of infection. Not just from the virulent plague that lurks in every handful of soil, but also those that have been infected and turned by the disease.

Plaguelands, it was exactly what this place had become, what was once the bulwark of the Kingdoms main farming and cattle rearing had been turned into a nightmarish version of itself. The air was as putrid as it was diseased, breathing was just as dangerous as stepping on a cockroach her, for either one could infect you. The constant scent of death assailed ones nostrils, and could even be tasted if one dared open their mouth.

The Plague of Undeath had all but consumed this region, so many lives lost and to something so small and miniscule. How many hundreds of thousands had died here? Simple people living their lives without a care, consumed by the disease and turned into undead monstrosities with a craving for flesh.

Yet this tragedy was not what had drawn the Bronze Dragonflight here, it was something within their domain that had caught their interest.

'What in the name of the Timeless One, is that doing here?'

Chromie had come to investigate this personally, it was one of a strange occurrence that had been picked up on by chance. Only found because one of her selves was meant to the Plaguelands for an important mission, that had been rendered moot at this point. With the appearance of the anomalies and time being thrown into whack she had to scrap that mission for more pressing matters. But now she was here to figure out where this latest temporal anomaly had come from.

Not far from Darrowshire, in the plagued mountainside that separated East and West Plaguelands from one another, was a time rift. She glared at it, from everyone else's perspective she was glaring at nothing, but for her she could see a dark void of nothingness that seemed to be sucking in all around it.

Drifting away from the tear in the fabric of reality she moved towards the closest settlement, which oddly enough was a small fortified camp. Within she could see the dark robed warriors, hooded and exuding shadows, they gave off an oppressive and despairing feeling at this distance. Oddly they were not members of the Undead Scourge, or even Forsaken, instead they were Paladins, or what were once Paladins.

Having turned from the Light and to a darker power, one that they gained when they had lost their faith. Nothing really noteworthy anyway, so there was no point in bothering with them.

Despite their dark aura, these Shadow Paladins were not the cause of the rift. Lingering energies seemed to permeate the area, and them in turn, but they were not the cause of this rift coming into being. It was well outside their sphere of influence.

"I want to know where this rift came from." Chromie said, whispering as she turned around and skulked back towards the rift.

"We do not know, it appeared from nowhere and seems to have formed for no reason." Zidormi replied, her words echoing within Chromie's mind.

"But it is not the only one to form, we have found several others." Coridormi spoke up, her words much more shrill as she called, obviously what she found was not good. "We have at least four others. I just got confirmation of it."

Four other rifts? How was that possible? How were these tears in time actually forming so far away from where the anomaly was? As far as they were aware these rifts could only form in the vicinity of the Anomaly and when he made a serious alteration in the timeline. Since he was likely still in the Desolace, or anywhere on Kalimdor, it was unlikely he was responsible for these rifts popping up.

"Where are the others?" Chromie inquired.

A new voice spoke, her mind stunned by the power behind the speaker.

"The Alterac Mountains, Tyr's Hand, Dalaran and Silvermoon." Andormu replied, it would seem the leader of the Keepers of Time was in the field, and he had found much. "But the possibility there are others we have not found yet is likely. The numbers of these rifts does not concern me, what does is when they formed."

Chromie understood, these rifts may have seemed to have popped up from nowhere it had actually not been in the exact time when the Anomaly was causing havoc. This was their first clue as to these unnatural breaches in time appearing, because they had appeared years before the anomaly showed up.

This particular rift had opened up four years in the past, four years before the anomaly appeared. Right now Arthas was busy scouring the last vestiges of life from this region, while the Scarlet Crusade was still forming its ranks to stand against them. While those disgraced Paladins over the hill were busy learning about the antithesis of the Light from that woman.

How this rift formed is an unknown, but its presence here may have a purpose they had yet to uncover. She just hoped that this was just a random occurrence, rather than a deliberate one carried out by their enemies.

"We may be looking at intersecting points in time streams." Chromie spoke up. "With the timeline shifting the way it is we may be looking at collisions between timelines. I can sense something from within the rift, it appears to be another time stream passing by ours."

The theory behind this is that timelines that have been changed, for one reason or another, shifts off its path in an unnatural way. This can cause collisions with other timelines, often causing instability in time for both streams, similar to what was happening in the main timeline at this moment. It would be like two herds of kodo running across a plain suddenly veering off course and colliding with one another, it gets messy and it throws off the entire herd – in this case, all of the timeline.

Normally there is a buffer that exists between timelines, this prevents them from connecting, but it cannot handle when a timestream is forcibly thrown off course. Normally this buffer would help steer the timelines apart, like two positively charged magnets getting to close to one another. This is what they usually do, so long as the changes are no so drastic and violent that the buffer doesn't have time not to act.

But there are other instances where the opposite happens, that timelines can be drawn to one another for one reason or another. This can be caused due to events in both respective timelines having a similarity to one another and also possessing a phenomenal amount of energy that they are pulled closer to one another. This usually forms tunnels and gateways to other timelines, allowing one to travel the infinite streams of time where all possibilities become possible.

The problem with that is they don't close on their own and they are unstable and against the natural rules of nature, and therefore very dangerous.

"I have one here as well, but it seems to be matching up with this timeline, to the exact moment it seems." Coridormi said, she was located in Lordamere Lake, near Dalaran. "I can see beyond the channel the same house that the rift resides within, it is strange that it is localized as such. The timeline is also running at a higher speed as well, the connection is unnaturally long."

"Perhaps the timelines that are being affected at only being so because of their speed, the reason they are affected is because at the moment in their streams they were running by the point when the anomaly created more rifts. Perhaps these connections are just a by-product of the streams trying to find cohesion." Zidormi suggested, and Chromie wanted to smack herself, Time doesn't work like that.

"That may explain it, but we would be seeing this with future timelines, this is directly into the past and the cause for this doesn't make sense." Andormu responded, although he didn't sound dismissive of the suggestion, instead he sounded distracted. "Still, this may be just another random effect, alternate timelines do not run linear to our own or flow at specific speeds, it is possible that these alternate timelines run ahead of our own."

A possible theory, some alternate timelines run faster than others, moving ahead at a faster rate and when in parallel are several years, or decades, ahead of the main timeline. Although as much as she felt that was a possibility, it was a rare one. Because for this to work, those timelines that are ahead of the main one, were creating connections that move into the past. All connections are straight and narrow, meaning that they move for the closest point.

This would be like two rivers that were running side by side, both carrying a small boat, but the stream on the left runs faster and pushes the boat ahead. Both are identical in every way, but the boat in the left stream is being pushed further ahead. When the streams intersect, the boat in the left stream would enter the right, ahead of time and appear to have moved ahead into the future.

But it didn't do that. The left river didn't just flow into the right one, it dug a channel – up hill and upstream back towards the boat in the right stream and deposited itself right down next to it. Ignoring the natural flow of the water, the fact that there is a bigger gap that far back, and did it to the exact same spot as the other boat. It just doesn't work like that, it cannot work like that.

Even if time was trying to keep itself localized in its connections, to the exact same time between time lines, it cannot happen naturally. It was highly improbable, virtually impossible, and considering she knew there were infinite possibilities when it came to time, this wasn't one of them. It being a natural occurrence, even brought on by the anomalies actions, was unlikely. The only true possibility that existed was someone guiding these connections.

She would need to investigate, because deep down she felt that these rifts might actually have appeared years before the anomaly appeared. If these events were related to the anomaly then why were they appearing in the past, with connections to alternate timelines? One fast flowing timeline might be plausible, but several, that reeked of motive of some manipulator.

A group needed to be put on this, to investigate and catalogue each and every rift that had formed, and then they would need to see about if the region had been altered. Rifts like these could be used as portals, maybe someone was coming in to attack a specific location in time. But that she would need to leave up to the investigators. She was going to have to continue her search for the Anomaly.

"I am requesting a team be put on this, we should look into making sure that these are not more Infinite attack vectors." Chromie stated.

"Attack vectors on what? There is nothing that detrimental to attack here, even Darrowshire isn't that valuable of a target." Agoddomu said, one of her agents. "Stratholme would be understandable, even Light's Hope or Tyr's Hand. But based on what we know these sites don't have any major staging point for an attack that could drastically change the timeline, especially at the points where these rifts open."

Chromie didn't believe that, there had to be more to this than what was being led on, there was more to this than they realized. But it seems that the rest of them had their hands full with other matters and were only giving this the barest of courtesies.

"Whatever the reason I want a team on this." Chromie replied.

"A team is not possible, not now, we need every member of our flight trying to hold time together right now." Andormu replied. "I can allow you to investigate, but only if it doesn't impede on your investigation into the Anomaly. I cannot take you off that case until you have captured him, if killing Abraxus did not fix anything in Dire Maul, then we need to find this other anomaly and strip him of whatever temporal powers shield him from us and from time. Then we can erase him."

Chromie wanted to say she could do it, but truthfully she had been struggling with actually locating the anomaly. His movements seem to be drawn to ongoing conflicts in specific regions, he was there in Feathermoon when it was attacked, he was at Dire Maul, and now in the Desolace. But the main focus seems to be the Sentinels and Shandris Feathermoon, she was key to her investigation. Likely she knew who he was or at least was aware of him, if she did than maybe she could direct him to her.

"No, I cannot do this personally; I am following up on several leads. But I do have one in mind that can take my place." Chromie replied.

"Very well, continue your investigation, and have your agent report to me and I will give him all the information he needs to study these rifts." Andormu replied.

With that the link had been severed, the connection to the many different Dragons in her flight disappearing as she had her mind to herself again. But even that didn't reassure her, for what was happening now was beyond her scope to imagine. Time was coming apart in pieces and they were failing every step of the way to stop it from getting worse.

This was the beginning of the end for them, actually it was more like halfway to the end. She had little time left and she needed to use it wisely, and only recently did she discover that the Anomaly seemed to have close connection with the Sentinel General of Feathermoon Stronghold. Not once did she think to try and interview anyone of this, to actually see if they were aware of someone that stood out.

'We really isolate ourselves too much.' Chromie though, and look where it got her.

If she could speak with her, maybe get an interview to learn the location of the anomaly and then capture him. She was loath to admit it took a lot of convincing to make sure her superiors didn't send out hundreds of their kin to try and find this Anomaly. If they killed him like they did Abraxus they would never be able to restore the timeline, for only capturing him and destroying whatever protection he had upon himself he would be vulnerable.

Turning she opened a portal, the stable rift in space brought her back to her home in the Caverns of Time. The Time Stop Inn, a little cosy human constructed inn that had popped up from nowhere one day and was partially phased into the caverns walls, something that she took as her own. She liked it, a nice place where she could kick back and think, maybe even have a drink as the humans would often do in such abodes.

She even created temporal echoes inside to liven the place up, it was actually nice.

Instead the noise of laughing patrons did not make her feel any better, with a wave of her hand they disappeared, leaving her in silence. Taking a seat at the bar she drummed her fingers along the counter, trying to think of a possible reason for these rifts to form.

For whatever reason she couldn't figure out why they had have come into being, nothing seems to have changed or be in danger. They just were there, doing nothing, which is something she did not believe was possible. Why did they form? There had to be more behind this and why they specifically came into being.

Already she could see the events that were unfolding in time at these locations.

Each one seemed so strange, what could be so important about these specific locations and what occurred here?

The Scarlet Crusade was mobilizing their forces in Tyr's Hand, nothing too irregular about that considering their extremist ways. He could see them coming into conflict with the Elves of Silvermoon though, along with the Argent Dawn as well.

Meanwhile, the Blood Elves were still rebuilding, training new soldiers and warriors for their cause and preparing to retake their lost nation from the Scourge. They were all so bitter and angry, it festering in them and already plans for petty revenge were already on their minds.

The Syndicate were mobilizing, their leader doing everything in her power to reinstate her family legacy and to begin plans of conquering the region of Alterac and beyond. One of the original members of the Perenolde family had taken the reins from her brother to do that. Now she was organizing them.

While in Dalaran the mages continue to rebuild their broken city and hide away from the rest of the world. Doing the same things they had done for the last four years since they sealed off their city from outsiders.

And from the tear near Darrowshire, she saw the Fallen Paladins take up arms against the Scourge, valiant fighters against the undead but misjudged by all others and wiped out in the height of their triumph.

All these things, these seemingly random events, so muddled yet did not seem to have any clear purpose as to why they were happening. As far as she knew they were on track, they were going the way they should be and there wasn't any problems. She knew that the Scourge would be appearing soon enough, but was there plans to aid their attacks or hinder them, the Infinite's motives were never clear.

Perhaps they would be wiping out the Scarlet Crusade and these Shadow Paladins, a possibility. Maybe even destroying Silvermoon just as they regain their power over the Light, through less than honourable means. The Syndicate also were a problem, for they were to become a major thorn in Sylvanas Windrunner's side with their raids and attempts to take hold of other parts of Lordaeron.

Reasonable assumptions, but where did Dalaran fit in? Or for that matter the small abandoned village outside of it.

She sighed, this wasn't her problem anymore. It would be Erozion's, and as much as she pitied the poor drake for the burden she was about to drop on his shoulder, she was glad it wasn't her having to do this.

Her job was to find the Anomaly and take care of him. First she would head to Feathermoon Stronghold and then see about going to Theramore, both those locations seem to be where his trail began and ended at one point. So finding him should be much easier this time, because she would be trailing him like any mortal would.

She would be in for a long hike.

Hope you liked it, and everything was explained easily enough.